pleased to meet you

[sailmods]

CW: murder

[it is the morning of the 17th when the usual morning announcement is replaced with the sort of tentative, nervous tone that Friday takes on immediately before something insane happens.]

Good morning, passengers! It's, um... Well, I sure hope everyone had an interesting time on their shore excursion! The Captain sure did! In fact, he had such a good time, he's asked me to inform you all that, tonight, he's going to be hosting his usual captain's formal in the main dining room, but with a twist! This time, it's going to be a, um... victory party! For Natsuno! Because he won! [small laugh] And also to celebrate the opening of a new shop on the Promenade! Gosh, and that really is something to celebrate; I haven't seen that happen since he--

[LOUD STATIC NOISES]

-- Yes, well! The dress code will be cruise formal; everyone can find a new set of clothes in their cabin to celebrate the occasion! I-- Oh, right, we'll see you all tonight! 8PM sharp!

[the connection cuts off. today, for the first time that anyone can remember, Friday can't be found in the atrium. or any other room. smoke 'em if you got 'em.

at 8PM sharp, the door to the dining room swings open. it is mostly empty: the only tables left are a dozen or so under the main chandelier. there are name cards at each table setting, written in Friday's neat script; the seatings seem mostly random, except for everyone who was on the island, who will find themselves at a table with their killer and/or victim(s). except Natsuno, of course, whose name is displayed proudly at the head table, next to an unnamed place. once they are inside, all of them find themselves under the same sort of compulsion that they felt during the muster drill, and their legs will stop working until they have gone to their assigned seats.

Friday enters the room first, dressed up nicely, but with hunched shoulders and her hands clasped firmly in front of her. the door shuts behind her. she says nothing, and acknowledges no one, not even Natsuno, as she takes her spot behind the chair.

a few fashionable minutes pass. it starts as smoke pouring out from under the door, moving towards the table as it slowly solidifies into the form of... a rather normal-looking man. he sits, cross-legged, in the chair that Friday pulls out for him. he looks over the assembled crowd, visibly considering something... there is a flash of silver in the light, and the knife he'd had in his sleeve is across Friday's throat quicker than she can react, and she falls bonelessly to the ground, a spray of arterial blood across the table setting.]

There, perfect.

[he looks out at them again. and he smiles. the knife is placed back in his sleeve, and he holds his hands out, palms up.]

Well. Here's your chance. [he waves a hand lazily, and the compulsion keeping them seated fades like pins and needles.] Try not to embarrass yourselves.

Comments

[sabigoe]

[ At some point later during the party, Fio has calmed down enough. Only a few tears shed, this time around. Other than that, she's mostly just quiet and listless. And nicely dressed too! Her hair's loose though, when it should be in a braid. She doesn't really know how to braid it well enough on her own.

She totters over to join Skulduggery's side and just reaches over to lightly grip the edge of his sleeve. Hello, skeleton dad. She doesn't actually need anything at the moment... she just wants to wait here with him until the doors open. Like an exhausted youngest child, who just wants to go home now and fall asleep in the backseat of a car. ]

[light_mischief]

[Skulduggery grabs hold of her hand, giving it a tight, reassuring squeeze.]

Almost through, Fio. We'll get to go soon.

[He has no idea exactly when "soon" might be, but he's not expecting this to last all night. The captain won't want to sit around that long.]

[sabigoe]

[ And she squeezes his hand in return. ]

Mm.

[ A quiet noise that's like a "yeah". Whenever soon might be. She stares in a daze at the chaos going down at the captain's table. Then helplessly in the direction of the captain himself. How can they win against someone like that? ]

What are we gonna do...

[light_mischief]

[For a moment, Skulduggery stares at the captain, too. Then he turns his eyes back to Fio, crouching down so that he can better distract her view. He doesn't know what to tell her; they simply can't fight him, not like this. But he can't tell her that. He won't.]

We'll figure out something. Right now, everyone's just... trying to see what the captain is like. Once we know that, we'll know how to approach him.

[He doesn't specify whether his plan involves murdering the captain or not.]

[sabigoe]

[ She's worried for everyone, but she'll try to believe they'll be able to find a solution. Let the grownups handle this. To think she almost went knocking on the bridge door on her own, without a plan or knowing what to even say. She wonders what could have happened... nothing good for sure. ]

...Y-yeah. [ A bit forced, but she puts on a weak, shaky smile. Like she's not sure if they'll be able to do this or not... or she's trying to go back to the ball of sunshine that she used to be. ] We'll figure out something.

[light_mischief]

[He nods. It'd be easy to take that as it is, to accept her putting on a brave face and try to move on through the night. He knows that's what he would've done, a long time ago.

Not now. Now, he puts one hand gently on Fio's shoulder and tries to reassure her in another, more honest way.]

It can be scary and upsetting here, I know. It's alright to feel afraid. But no matter how scary it gets, remember that the fear won't last. It can always be replaced, by courage, hope, happiness... because fear isn't forever.

[sabigoe]

[ Fio is too used to misfortunes happening one after another in her own life, with no hope in sight. And she would put on a smile through endless fear and despair, until it became too overwhelming for one little girl to deal with alone. But that physical touch on her shoulder, along with his words help to remind her what she has now.

She nods quietly. For a moment, she doesn't say much else, then: ]

...You're good at making the fear go away, Duggy.

[ Funny saying this to a whole skeleton man. Then again, her former companion and only friend was a giant bug-looking monster... ]

[light_mischief]

[Skulduggery laughs gently at that, thinking the same thing. Funny she'd think he was less scary than the unassuming man sitting up at the captain's table.]

I do my best. But it wouldn't be so easy if you weren't so strong.

[sabigoe]

Strong... hm. Are you sure?

[ A slight head tilt. She sounds uncertain about that, even if she wants to believe it to be true. She thinks back about how much she cried within the last week especially. ]

[light_mischief]

Yes. [His tone is gentle, but the answer isn't up for debate. He doesn't want her to doubt him, or herself, for long. Because if she does, then she might not be able to survive whatever comes next.]

You're stronger than you know. This place is scary and terrible, but you'll find that if you dig down deep, you've got more courage in you than you realize. You might not think so, but I can tell these kinds of things.

[sabigoe]

[ It's a terrifying, dangerous place, and yet in this place, she receives a lot of positive reinforcement that's been largely missing in nearly her entire life. And now she's being told that she's strong. It helps to be able to hear it from others and... she likes hearing it.

She drops her gaze briefly, unsure what to say. Her eyes flit back up in a shy manner. ]

I'm... I'm glad you can see something like that in me.

[light_mischief]

[He takes up her hand with both of hers and gives another firm squeeze.] You're still young, Fio. You'll see it too, in time.

[sabigoe]

[ It isn't lonely anymore, that's why I'm able to stay strong. She doesn't want to say it and be seen even more pitiful than she already is.

Her weak smile returns as he squeezes her hand, letting out a small fragile laugh. She can't easily get rid of her habit of trying to smile on hard times. ]

You're probably right.

[ She wants to believe he's right. A lot of things that he tells her, she wants to believe in. ]